Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that is difficult to detect in its early stages. Because of the human and socioeconomic cost of the disease, it is believed that the earliest detection, even when the disease is presymptomatic, is desirable. Further, it is believed that it would be desirable to develop an objective radiologic measure to stage the disease and to assess effect of interventions in both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients.
This patent specification incorporates by reference the following articles: (1) Hutchinson M, Raff U, Parkinson's disease: a novel MRI method for determining structural changes in the substantia nigra. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry December 1999; 67:815-818; and (2) Hutchinson M. Raff U, Structural Changes of the Substantia Nigra in Parkinson's Disease as Revealed by MR Imaging, AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 21:697-701, April 2000.